The Los Angeles Angels still need a centerfielder even after trading for outfielder Josh Lowe.
Against what the franchise normally does, the Los Angeles Angles have made many offseason moves in an effort to rebuild one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball.
The Angels haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2014 and have been letting their fans down ever since. Even with legendary outfielder Mike Trout paired with star designated hitter/right-handed starter Shohei Ohtani for a couple of seasons, the club just couldn’t make it to October.
General manager Perry Minasian has signed several former All-Star pitchers as he attempts to fix his bottom-ranked pitching staff as well as making two impactful trades: he traded left fielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and acquired outfielder Josh Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade.
While these moves are exciting (yes, most of the pitching acquisitions are looking to rebound from poor seasons, but it’s something), the Angels are still without a centerfielder. The club has several corner outfielders, including former centerfielder Mike Trout, but not a starting centerfielder.
Normally, the Angels would just sign a cheaper player to fill the hole, but since the team is saving around $30 million after restructuring third baseman Anthony Rendon’s contract, they could make a splash signing instead. I don’t know if the Angels are fully on board with trying to compete for a playoff spot this season, but with the moves they have made thus far, why not go out and at least offer outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger a contract?
Bellinger would be a star in the Angels lineup and plays Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield and at first base. He provides versatility, speed, power and bat-to-ball skills and would make things interesting in the American League West division.
The former Most Valuable Player is reportedly seeking a seven-year deal and I doubt the Angels would commit to that at this point in their rebuild, but who knows? Maybe the Angels are tired of being a bottom-ranked team.
Centerfield isn’t the only hole on this team. With Rendon not reporting to the team in the final year of his deal, the Angels don’t have a third baseman. According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, the team could also use another starting pitcher.
“Even if the Angels maintain the status quo in their outfield, they still need a third baseman. And they could benefit from another starting pitcher,” Gonzalez wrote Monday. “By trading Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for Rodriguez, the Angels saved more than $11 million in salary commitments for 2026. By deferring the last year of Anthony Rendon's contract, they saved an additional $30 million or so. And yet almost none of those savings have filtered their way back onto the roster.”
It’s been an exciting offseason for a fanbase that never sees their team make a lot of moves, even if those moves don’t involve star players. Signing Bellinger is a pipedream but I expect the Angels to continue adding depth.